Let us rejoice. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong’s Central and Western branch has risen above the mundane pursuit of stability, prosperity and national security, diverged from the materialistic pursuit of livelihood issues, and found an issue of profound political and environmental importance: dog shit.
At a press conference (I am not making this up) a spokesman said the party had received more than 100 complaints about dog droppings in public places, mainly Caine Road, Conduit Road, Robinson Road, Ladder Street and Shing Wong Street.
District Councillor Rex Ip was reported as suggesting CCTV cameras at known black spots, as well as increased patrols. He also suggested overcoming urine odours by dowsing the streets in “lemon extract”.
Council colleague Noel Shih wanted better dog toilets, with a “drainable stainless steel surface, and adding water facets.” I suppose that was a misprint for faucets. Another councillor proposed more dog-friendly parks.
According to the reply to a Legco question in June, there were 24 cases of “fouling streeets or public places by dog faeces” last year, attracting $70,000 in fines. Note that only faeces are covered by law as officials think urine is a problem easily solved by routine street washing.
Well, what are we dog-owners to make of all this? Well if your favoured walking spot is in Caine Road, etc, then the DAB is on your case. Pick up your poop.
Dog walkers, including me, who carry a bottle of water to dilute any puddles left by our four-legged friends, are doing the public a favour. Our pavements can, officially, take it as it comes. That’s not to say that a nice scent of lemon wouldn’t be very welcome.
Now, a word for Councillor Shih (not a misprint) about dog toilets. They are a complete waste of money. I have walked an awful lot of dogwalks since I got my first whippet more than 50 years ago and none of the pooches concerned ever took the slightest interest in a dog toilet.
There are only two solutions to the solid waste problem. If you allow your dog to roam off leash you have to carry a roll of plastic bags so you can pick up after performances. If you keep your dog on the leash you can carry a sheet of newspaper, watch like a hawk, and slip the paper into a close catching position when your dog assumes the pose: legs apart, back bent.
The thing which designers of dog toilets seem to have a problem with is that dogs cannot read. Signs saying “dog toilet”, or “do it here” are wasted on them. Little pictograms of a dog in the position also do not cut the mustard.
Replacing the usual sand with a stainless steel surface is not going to help at all. Nor, of course, will “water facets”, whether that means a fetching fountain or just a tap. The only things which might help attract custom are some form of Astroturf which will feel like grass to a canine foot, or some chemical (I have seen this on sale for domestic use) which mysteriously tells your dog that “This is the place”.
The grass may work if there is no choice. I used to know a yachtsman who regularly took his dog to sea with him, and had a patch of artificial grass at the foot of the mast. His dog took the hint. I have not tried the chemical.
The DAB does, though, have one good dog idea. District Councillor Yeung Hok-ming turned up at the same press conference calling for more pet-friendly parks, which the public, according to a DAB survey, warmly supported.
As do I, with one proviso. Our nearest “pet-friendly” park has an enclosure with a double gate so you can let your dog roam free without worrying about it escaping when someone opens the gate. This enclosure is ludicrously small. If you have a very small dog, like a pocket poodle, or a rather unathletic one, like a French bulldog, then the enclosure may have some exercise possibilities.
A decent-sized dog will sniff round and look disgusted. Or jump the fence.
tim's experiment 